CONNECTING DEVICE FOR A SEALED EXCHANGE OF FLUID BETWEEN TWO COMPONENTS, CONNECTING SYSTEM AND BRAKE SYSTEM

Abstract

A connecting device for a sealed exchange of fluid between two components is disclosed. The connecting devices comprises a pipe portion with at least two pipe portion ends, wherein an extent of the pipe portion between the pipe portion ends determines a streamline of the fluid, and comprises a sealing element which at least partially surrounds the pipe portion. At least one of the pipe portion ends is configured to form an inflow and/or outflow region that extends over the clear dimension of the at least one pipe portion end.

Claims

1. A connecting device for a sealed exchange of fluid between two components, comprising a pipe portion with at least two pipe portion ends, wherein an extent of the pipe portion between the pipe portion ends determines a streamline of the fluid, and comprising a sealing element which at least partially surrounds the pipe portion wherein at least one of the pipe portion ends is configured to form an inflow and/or outflow region that extends over a clear dimension of the at least one pipe portion end.

2. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pipe portion ends has at least one projection in a direction of extent of the pipe portion.

3. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein, on at least one of the pipe portion ends, two projections are formed which extend away from the pipe portion end and which are spaced apart from one another in a pipe circumferential direction and between which the extended inflow and/or outflow region is at least partially formed.

4. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pipe portion ends is of crown-shaped form.

5. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element has a sleeve-shaped main body which has at least one sealing bead which projects, transversely with respect to a direction of longitudinal extent of the sleeve, in a sealing direction.

6. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the pipe portion and/or the sealing element has at least one recess, and the respective other of the pipe portion and/or the sealing element has, on a side facing towards the respective first of the pipe portion and/or sealing element, at least one positioning projection which is configured to correspond in terms of shape to the at least one recess and which is in engagement with the recess and which engages in positively locking and/or cohesive fashion into the recess, wherein the pipe portion is insert-moulded in the sealing element.

7. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element comprises at least two sealing beads with different outer diameters.

8. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting device and/or the two pipe portion ends of the pipe portion are/is configured mirror-symmetrically with respect to a plane that runs perpendicular to a direction of the extent of the pipe portion.

9. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the pipe portion is more rigid than the at least partially surrounding sealing element.

10. The connecting device according to any claim 1, wherein the pipe portion has a positioning projection which extends radially away from the pipe portion.

11. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing element, on its side facing towards the pipe portion, fills a cutout of the pipe portion and surrounds the positioning projection.

12. The connecting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one pipe portion end is shaped such that fluid flows into the inflow and/or outflow region transversely with respect to the streamline of the pipe portion.

13. A connecting system comprising two components for conducting a fluid and comprising a connecting device configured according to claim 1, wherein, for the purposes of conducting fluid from one of the two components through the connecting device into the other of the two components, the two components being assembled on one another by the connecting device, wherein: a positioning projection is formed on the pipe portion of the connecting device, and in each case one partial positioning recess is formed on the two components, such that, in an assembled state, the positioning projection engages into a positioning recess formed by the partial positioning recesses.

14. The connecting system according to claim 13, wherein the positioning recess is of complementary shape with respect to the positioning projection.

15. The connecting system according to claim 13, wherein the positioning projection and the in each case one partial positioning recess are configured such that the two components can be assembled so as to lie against one another by way of a respective contact side.

16. The connecting system according to claim 13, wherein the positioning projection and the in each case one positioning recess are configured such that the connecting device abuts axially against a respective one of the two components and the two components abut axially against one another.

17. The connecting system according to claim 13, wherein the connecting device comprises a pipe portion and a sealing element which imparts a sealing action with respect to the two components and the pipe portion.

18. The connecting system according to claim 13, wherein the connecting device has at least one inflow and/or outflow region.

19. A brake system for a motor vehicle, comprising two components for conducting brake fluid, wherein the components are connected to one another, for a sealed exchange, by a connecting device configured according to claim 1, wherein, the two components and the connecting device are part of a connecting system, that has a positioning projection is formed on the pipe portion of the connecting device, and in each case one partial positioning recess is formed on the two components, such that, in an assembled state, the positioning projection engages into a positioning recess formed by the partial positioning recesses.

20. The connecting device according to claim 2, wherein, on at least one of the pipe portion ends, two projections are formed which extend away from the pipe portion end and which are spaced apart from one another in a pipe circumferential direction and between which the extended inflow and/or outflow region is at least partially formed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] Further features, advantages and characteristics of the disclosure will be discussed on the basis of the description of exemplary arrangements of the disclosure with reference to the figures, in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary arrangement of a connecting device according to the disclosure in a perspective view;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the connecting device as per FIG. 1 in a perspective view, with the sealing element having been removed;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a first exemplary arrangement of a connecting system according to the disclosure; and

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the connecting system as per FIG. 3 in a sectional illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In the figures of the drawing, identical and functionally identical elements and features are denoted by the same reference designations unless stated otherwise.

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a connecting device according to the disclosure, which comprises a pipe portion 1 and a sealing element 5. As can also be seen in FIG. 2, the pipe portion 1 has a substantially hollow cylindrical shape. In one exemplary arrangement, the pipe portion is an injection-moulded part composed of plastic.

[0031] The pipe portion 1 has two pipe portion ends which are situated opposite one another in relation to the direction of longitudinal extent of the hollow cylinder. The sealing element 5 likewise has a hollow cylindrical basic shape and surrounds the pipe portion 1 in the manner of a sleeve. The sealing element 5 surrounds the pipe portion 1 from one pipe portion end along the entire longitudinal extent of the pipe portion to the other pipe portion end. The outer side, averted from the pipe portion 1, of the sealing element 5 comprises multiple sealing beads 11 that may be distributed uniformly along the longitudinal extent of the sealing element. The sealing beads 11 extend, in one exemplary arrangement, in an uninterrupted fashion, along the entire circumference of the hollow cylindrical main body. The sealing action is imparted by at least two encircling sealing beads 11 that make contact with the components 7, 7a, that is to say constitute a barrier for the fluid.

[0032] Through variation of the diameter of the encircling sealing beads 11 and of the sealing element 5, it is furthermore possible for the same pipe portion 1 to be utilized for different applications or installation situations. An adaptation of the connecting device is then realized through a variation of the diameter of the sealing element 5. A multiplicity of encircling sealing beads 11 and associated surface pairs furthermore increases the leak-tightness of the connecting device 100. The sealing element 5 is distinguished by the fact that the pipe portion 1 is more rigid than the at least partially surrounding sealing element 5.

[0033] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the construction of the connecting device 100 is symmetrical with respect to a plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the cylindrical portion. In this way, there is no directional dependency for the assembly of the connecting device 100 into the two components 7, 7a,

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the connecting device 100 from FIG. 1, but without the sealing element 5 with the sealing beads 11. The positioning projection 2 is situated centrally on an outer wall of the pipe portion 1, runs at least partially in encircling fashion, and is advantageously created during the production of the pipe portion 1. The course of the elevation of the positioning projection 2 as shown in FIG. 2 is merely exemplary, and the elevation may be larger or smaller, and the gradient with which the projection 2 rises may also differ from the version shown. The pipe portion has additional cutouts 4 in front of and behind the positioning projection 2, whereby the surface area between pipe portion 1 and sealing element 5 is enlarged, and an improved connection is ensured. The sealing element 5 engages into these cutouts 4 and, by way of the enlarged contact area, produces an improved force flow between pipe portion 1 and sealing element 5.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a connecting system composed of a first component 7, a second component 7a and a connecting device 100. The connecting device 100 has a pipe portion 1 and a projection 3, which are situated between a first component 7 and a second component 7a in order to connect the components to one another in leakage-free fashion for the exchange of fluid. For this purpose, the first component 7 has a fluid connector 8 that opens into an inflow region 9 directly upstream of the pipe portion 1. The fluid connector 8 serves for connecting the at least one component 7, 7a to other components and devices which are not illustrated. This may for example be a hose for conducting fluid, which hose is connected to the fluid connector 8 by a thread. It is also possible for some other device to be screwed to the component 7, 7a and for the fluidic connection to be generated by a corresponding bore in the other device. The second component 7a likewise has a fluid connector (not illustrated) that opens into an outflow region 9a directly upstream of the pipe portion 1. The inflow and/or outflow regions 9, 9a comprise the volume that is formed within the at least one projection 3, wherein this does not include the volume that is formed by the pipe portion 1. Owing to the formation of an inflow and/or outflow region 9, 9a, the direction from which the fluid flows into or out of the fluid connectors 8 is not of importance. In one exemplary arrangement, an inflow and outflow direction transverse with respect to the direction of extent of the pipe portion 1 is made possible by the inflow and/or outflow regions 9, 9a.

[0036] The projection 3, which is situated on the at least two pipe portion ends of the pipe section 1, projects away from the respective pipe portion end in the direction of the streamline in a circumferential direction. For this purpose, use may be made of a streamline at the pipe portion end; optionally also the streamline at another location of the connecting device 100. The projection 3 extends in the circumferential direction of the pipe portion end only along a part of the circumference. A free region is thus formed along the remaining circumference of the pipe portion end, through which free region fluid can flow into and/or out of the pipe portion end.

[0037] Such an arrangement allows fluid to flow into the pipe portion 1 from different directions. In other words, the orientation of the inflow into the inflow and/or outflow regions 9, 9a is independent of the orientation of the connecting device 100. According to the disclosure, the fluid can flow into and out of the fluid chamber 9, 9a from different directions.

[0038] The positioning recess 10 in the components 7, 7a, as can be seen in FIG. 3, is made up of two partial positioning recesses that are situated in each case in one of the components 7, 7a. As a result of the connection of the two components 7, 7a during the assembly process, the positioning recess 10 is formed from the partial positioning recesses and serves for receiving the positioning projection 2 in order to exactly spatially fix the connecting device 100 with respect to the components.

[0039] An axial stop, that is to say an arrangement for limiting the displacement in a longitudinal direction, for the pipe portion 1 is realized by a force fit between the projections 3 and the components 7, 7a. Furthermore, the positioning of the connecting device 100 is realized by a positioning projection 2 on the pipe portion 1, which positioning projection engages into a corresponding positioning recess 10 that is formed by the two components 7, 7a.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows the same components as FIG. 3, but in this case the connecting device is shown in a section along the direction of extent of the pipe. For the exchange of fluid between the components 7, 7a, the fluid passes through the fluid connector 8 into the first component 7, from where it passes through a channel into the inflow region 9. The connection between fluid connector 8 and inflow region 9 may in this case run transversely with respect to the direction of extent of the pipe portion 1. In one exemplary arrangement, the fluid may flow transversely into the inflow region 9. The fluid flows around the at least one projection 3 that defines the inflow region. After the fluid has passed the pipe portion 1, it passes into the outflow region 9a, which is in turn formed by at least one projection 3. Owing to the mirror-symmetrical construction of the connecting device, the pipe portion 1 together with the sealing element 5 and the projection 3 can also be inserted having been rotated through 180° about the vertical axis. The function remains unaffected in this case. From the outflow region 9a, the fluid passes to a fluid connector (not illustrated) in the second component 7a. Here, too, the outflow of fluid from the outflow region 9a may run transversely with respect to the direction of extent of the pipe portion 1. The flows through the connecting device 100 may also run counter to the direction described above.

[0041] The pressurized fluid also impinges, at the inflow and/or outflow regions 9, 9a, on the sealing element 5 and the sealing beads 11 thereof. Owing to the interference fit between the sealing beads 11 and the components 7, 7a, however, no fluid passes into the intermediate gap, whereby a sealed connection is created between the components 7, 7a.

[0042] In the sectional illustration in FIG. 4, it is likewise possible to clearly see how a sealing bead 11 of the sealing element 5 is pushed by the positioning projection 2 into a corresponding recess 10. The recess in the two components 7, 7a allows easy positioning of the connecting device 100 and ensures that tilting of the connecting device 100 is avoided. Furthermore, the assembly process is simplified by the recess 10, because the two components 7, 7a do not need to be exactly aligned with one another for the assembling process. Owing to the mirror-symmetrical construction, the positioning projection 2 is furthermore situated exactly in the transition region between the components 7, 7a irrespective of the installation direction.

[0043] If necessary, isolated features may also be picked out from the combinations of features disclosed here and used, with the elimination of any structural and/or functional relationship that exists between the features, in combination with other features for the purposes of delimiting the claimed subject matter. The sequence and/or number of steps of the methods may be varied. The methods may be combined with one another, for example to form one overall method.